


Helping Out

by Denebola_Leo



Series: Tavern at the End of the World [2]
Category: Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Cloud is still learning things please be gentle, Dimension Travel, F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, Helping out, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-15 03:42:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20859659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denebola_Leo/pseuds/Denebola_Leo
Summary: Seventh Heaven is getting a little crowded with Squall, Rinoa and Laguna living there, but someone else had to show up at their doorstep again.





	Helping Out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jongiplier](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jongiplier/gifts).

> Another prompt courtesy of the fine members of the Final Heaven Cloti Discord! I had to use the idea at the end, it was just too fun. This is after Visitors, so if you wanna read in order, read that first. 
> 
> Gifting to Aster Daydreams(I need to find your writer name lmao) Tiffo, and jongiplier for helping out with the prompt.

_ Ting ting _

“Erm…”

Cloud rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks glowing from the sight of yet another familiar face showing up at the bar as he stood behind the counter, holding a clean glass. He was expecting another customer to show right before closing, not.. _ him _ .

“Oh, hey! I remember you. Cloud, right?” the young man asked as he came up to the counter, blue eyes glimmering with recognition under his black bangs.

The blond nodded slowly. “...And you’re...Noctis?”

Noctis gave a small smile. “Glad you remembered. We didn’t get to talk too much in that weird place. So…” He looked around with a mix of curiosity and confusion. “You run a bar?”

“I-I just help out from time to time,” he responded. “You’re lost too, huh?”

The prince nodded. “Yeah. Is this another world we were dragged to? Don’t tell me you had to start over in this glum place!”

Cloud snorted. Edge was a little dreary, he admitted to himself. “This is my world. You’re not wrong about the glum part, though. Long story.”

Now it was Noctis’ turn to blush. “Oh. Sorry. But you asked if I’m lost too…?”

“Squall showed up a day ago, with his girlfriend and father.”

Noctis blinked slowly at the news. “You’re pullin’ my leg.”

“Nope. Well, since you’re here, I can’t have you sleepin’ in the garage.” Cloud motioned for him to come behind the counter. Noctis complied, and followed the blond towards a living space. There was a sofa, and Cloud pointed at it. “Sorry. We’re running low on beds,” he mumbled.  


Noctis couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed, but he had roughed it before. Although, it had been with his close friends and not at an acquaintance’s house. Cloud caught wind by the look on his face. “Hey, it’s a comfortable sofa. I don’t know what you’re used to, but around these parts it’s not a bad deal.”

“I’m actually the Crown Prince of my country,” Noctis admitted none too sheepishly.

Holding back a wry grin, Cloud responded “well, a Crown Princess has had to sleep on this sofa. It’s a royal legacy now.”

Noctis raised a brow. “A princess, huh?”

“Yeah.” Cloud put his hands on his hips. “Well, let’s get you set up.”

Within an hour he had met Squall, the teen warrior quietly surprised that yet another person he had met from Planet B was with them, and Tifa, who despite the smile looked a little worried, possibly from the amount of people she was hosting...or might have to host in the near future.

“She’s the cook in this house, huh?” Noctis watched as Tifa worked the kitchen, the bar long since closed. Cloud was helping set up the table with Marlene’s help.

“We’re gonna have to repay you guys somehow,” Rinoa promised.

Cloud shrugged as he put the last plate plate down. “Well, first we gotta find a way to get you all back home. If we can’t, then we’ll get you set up in Edge.”

_ Set up? Start over?  _ Noctis crossed his arms and looked down at his plate. He had a duty somewhere else. He was the future king of Lucis, set to wed his childhood friend Lunafreya. He had friends that were most assuredly wondering where he went to. This place was not his future, just a pit stop.

“I hope we’ll be looking for every possible way back?” Squall asked. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Cloud replied. “...We all have our Promised Land.” He went back to the counter to grab a basket of warm buns.

Tifa soon brought a large pot to the table, brimming with stew. “Enjoy!”

Everyone served themselves portions of the stew, except the children, who had theirs served to them by their parents. Tucking in, the stew was uniquely spiced to those not from Gaia, but pleasant.  


“What kinda meat is this?” Laguna asked before jamming his spoon in his mouth.

Tifa quirked a half smile. “Elfadunk. Takes a while to soften, but it’s good to eat all the same.”

“What’s it look like?”

“Blue, kinda dopey looking.” Cloud shrugged before digging in again.

“I have a picture of it in my monster manual!” Denzel grinned at the Estharian president. “I can show you after dinner, if ya want.”

“Sure!”

“Oh, I wanna see, too!” Rinoa chimed.  


Noctis swirled his stew, avoiding the green bits. Was it lettuce, was it spinach? Didn’t matter. The Elfadunk meat was delicious, though. It had a nice firmness to it and little fat. He supposed the potatoes were okay, even if they were vegetables. They were the good vegetables.

After dinner he found himself feeling quite tired. Noctis wondered if the reason he kept getting transported to other worlds was because of the Regalia, because that’s where he was every time it happened. He let out a yawn and scratched his lower back.

Tifa came up to him with a smile. “Since it’s your first night here, Prince Noctis,” she said with what was a hint of lighthearted mockery when she used his title, as if it meant less than nothing to her. Which it probably did, but he couldn’t help but feel a little offended by it. “You don’t have to help with clean up.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

Her smile became an amused smirk, her red eyes showing absolutely no hostility; it was all in jest to her. “Well, I’ll get you some blankets and a pillow. Bathroom’s upstairs and to your left!”

He nodded his genuine appreciation before heading off to the living room. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

* * *

“Does it fit you alright?” Cloud asked, looking Noctis up and down.

He moved around a bit. He was wearing a dark grey tee and blue jeans. “They’re a little loose, but they feel alright.”

The blond nodded, wearing a turtleneck green sleeveless and black pants. He picked up the hamper, holding their dirty laundry, and walked towards the garage. Noctis followed, his eyes falling on a beautiful black bike near the center of the room.

He pointed at it. “Whoa, is that yours?”

“Yeah. Name’s Fenrir,” Cloud boasted. “Later on I can take you on a tour of the city with it if ya want.” The bike was his pride and joy. No one got to drive her but him...and Tifa.

“Cool!” He looked back at Cloud, who had one hand holding his elbow and the other hand stroking his chin. “Everything okay?”

“...Yeah, I...just don’t do the laundry all that much.” Ever. “I forget how much soap to put in.”

“Oh.” Noctis thought about it a moment; he had never had to do his own laundry. “Couple of cups sounds reasonable, don’t you think?”

Cloud nodded to himself. “Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good.” He went into one of the storage cabinets, completely ignoring the container of laundry detergent and breaking out a bottle of Tifa’s dish detergent.  


“What are you guys doing?”

They turned to see Squall standing in the doorway, arms crossed and with a brow raised. He sort of looked like a father that caught his children in the middle of a scheme.

“Laundry,” Noctis answered.  


Squall watched with a judging eye as Cloud squeezed out half the bottle in his hand over the washer. A frown crossed his face. “...You  _ do _ know how much soap to put in there, right? Is that even the right kind?”

“Uh, well…”

Noctis laughed and gave Cloud a pat on the shoulder. “This isn’t our world, man. They probably have all different kinds of soaps we don’t!” he said with confidence.

Cloud still looked unsure, wavering, but in the end he shrugged and put the lid down and pressed the start button. “It’ll be fine,” he assured them(himself).

Squall pursed his lips, completely unconvinced. “Whatever.” He walked off.

“Well, now that that’s taken care of, how about that tour?”

The blond nodded, and showed Noctis to his bike. They were soon zooming about the shanty city, a carefree feeling coming over them as they enjoyed the wind in their hair and the spring sun on their face.

As for Tifa, she was blissfully unaware of the trouble brewing as she talked to Rinoa about materia, until she heard Marlene shout out “Mama! There’s bubbles coming out of the garage!”


End file.
